A two-month-old pygmy hippo has become an internet sensation across Thailand and beyond after footage went viral online of her wobbling around her enclosure, nibbling her zookeeper and being sprayed with water.
Moo-Deng has captured hearts across Asia. Fans have made cakes in her image and artworks showing off her cartoonish rosy cheeks and bright eyes. One cosmetics chain even jumped on the trend, telling social media users to “wear your blush like a baby hippo” in posts promoting products in pink and peach tones. In a reflection of her growing global clout, Time magazine’s website named her an “Icon” and “Legend”, saying “She Is the Moment”.
Her fame stems from a TikTok account with 2.5 million followers dedicated to the hippos and other species at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand. Hundreds of thousands of people also follow accounts documenting their daily life on Facebook and Instagram.
Atthapon Nundee, 31, a zookeeper at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, said he began posting clips of animals on social media during the pandemic, when he found he had more spare time on his hands. Moo-Deng, whose name means “bouncy pork”, also the name of a Thai dish, has attracted the most attention by far.
“The moment I saw Moo-Deng born, I set a goal to make her famous, but I never expected it would spread abroad. I thought she could be famous in Thailand but not internationally,” he said.
Tourists’ social media videos have helped her achieve fame online, but so too has her character, he said. “She is called ‘bouncy’ and she is quite ‘bouncy’ too,” Atthapon said. Her siblings are also called variations of pork dishes: her half-sister is called Moo Wan (Thai sweet pork), her other half-sister is called Pha Lor (pork belly stew), and her brother is called Moo Tun (stewed pork).
Her popularity has created a surge in visitors to the zoo, which has raised concerns about her welfare. Tourists were accused of throwing water and seashells at Moo Deng to wake her, apparently because they wanted to take photos.
The zoo authorities have condemned those who have tried to disturb Moo-Deng. Atthapon said CCTV has been installed and an officer is present to watch over her.
“Most of the time she is sleeping,” said Atthapon, who added her behaviour is similar to a human baby, with playful outbursts and lots of rest. “She only has milk from mom, she doesn’t eat anything else besides milk.” At two months old, she already weighs more than 20kg, and it is possible that she will begin to eat grass next month.
Adult pygmy hippos also like to sleep a lot during the day. “Mostly they just sleep and soak in the water because it gets quite hot,” Atthapon said.
Pygmy hippos are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. A 1993 study suggested there were between 2,000 to 2,5000 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild. They are native to West Africa, where they live in swamps and near rivers, but are threatened by habitat loss due to human activities such as logging, mining, as well as hunting.
Edwin Wiek, founder of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, questioned the need for more pygmy hippos to be kept in zoo settings, where they have already been bred successfully, saying the focus should be on keeping them in the wild. “They are very endangered, but actually, with the proper enforcement and conservation plan in the wild – leave them alone, they can do really well.”
Atthapon said the zoo keeps Moo-Deng and other animals as close to nature as possible, and that zoos contribute to conservation work.
“I hope that the cuteness of Moo-Deng will raise awareness for people to come and learn about [the species],” Atthapon said.